Range control switch



Feb. 9, 1932. c, AALBVQRGQ 1,844,493

' RANGE CONTROL SWITCH Filed Oct. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l i WITNESSES:2/ 26 INVENTOR 5. J Chr/s/van fia/bo g. W

ATTdRNEY Feb. 9, 1932. c AALBORG 1,844,493

RANGE CONTROL SWITCH Filed Oct. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I BY 9Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE CHRISTIAN AALLBORG, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC &MANUFACTURING COMI'ANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA RANGE commonswrrcn Application filed October 22, 1926. Serial No. 143,411.

My invention relates to circuit-controlling devices and moreparticularly to small switches used in connection with householdappliances.

One object of my invention is toprovide a switch that shall be set inone position preparatory to being moved through a series of positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch that shall be setin one position and biased to another position by automaticallycontrolled operating means.

Another object of my invention is to pro- I vide a switch that shall beset in one position and subsequently moved through a series of positionsupon the actuation of a single electromagnet.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch, the electricalposition of which shall be readily distinguishable by observation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch that shall beparticularly useful in connection with electrical appliances wherein itis desired to employ a switch to automatically perform a plurality ofoperations.

In the operation of an electrical appliance, particularly an electricrange, it is often found-desirable to set the main control switch insuch position that a circuit through the appliance may be closed at adesired hour and remain closed for a predetermined time. In connectionwith an electrical range this advantage is particularly pronounced whena clock is set to heat the oven at a given hour and the current through'the oven is interrupted when the oven has reached a given temperature,all of these operations being automatically erformed after the settingof the clock and t e control switch.

Heretofore, it has been the general practice to employ snap switches inconnection with electrical ranges that necessitated the operator walkingto the switch to determine whether it is in its on or off position.

In the present invention, I provide a switch with an operating handle,the position of which readily indicates the on or off position of theswitch. The position of the opcomplishing the foregoing objects and tothe details of construction illustrated in the ac companying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a switch embodying my inventionin its off position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the switch shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the switch in its setposition.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the switch in its onposition.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail side elevational and ed e views, respectively,of the switch arm.

igs. 7 and 8 are similar views, of the switch arm trigger.

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views of the operating handle trigger, and

Figs. 11 and 12 are similar views of the operating handle.

My invention comprises, in general, a base member 1 for supportingstationary contact members 2 and 3, a housing 4 having an electromagnet5 mounted therein, a switch arm 6 that is controlled by an operatinghandle 7, and a latching and tensioning mechanism 8 for moving themthrough a. predetermined cycle of operations.

An armature 12 for -the electromagnet 5 is carried by a supportingmember 13 that is, in turn, pivotally mounted on a shaft 14 that issupported by outwardly-projecting, spaced flanges 15 formed on thehousing 4:. The shaft 14 supports also a pair of triggers 16 and 17, thedetails of which are shown in Figs. 7 and 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Thetriggers 16 and 17 are given a counter-clockwise bias about the shaft 14by coil springs-18 and 19, respectively.

Referring to Figs. 3, 7 and 8, the trigger 16 comprises a downwardlyextending tail-piece 21, that projectsthru an opening 22 in thesupporting member 13, and a main body portion 23 that terminates in aslot 24 having a notch 25 in one side.

Referring to Figs. 3, 9 and 10, the trigger 17 comprises a downwardlyextending tailpiece 26, that also projects thru the opening 22 inthe'supporting member 13, and a body portion 27 having "a In 28 formedon the upper edge thereof. he tail-piece 26 is considerably narrowerthan the tail-piece 21 in order to permit movement of the former yvithinthe opening 22 independently of the atter.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the switch arm 6 comprises a main bodyportion 29 having an upwardly extending perforated off-set arm 31, aportion 32 bent at right angles to the body portion, a forwardlyprojecting stop portion 33 and a lug 35 that is adapted to co-operatewith the notch 25 in the trigger 16. The switch arm 6 is supported on ashaft 36 that is secured between the flanges 15 above the shaft 14 insuch position that its stop portion 33 may engage the housing 4, when itis in its forward position. A bridging member 37 is riveted to theportion 32 and is provided with contact blades that co-operate with thestationary contact member 2 and 3 to complete the electrical connectiontherebetween. The operating handle 7 is also mounted on the shaft 36.

Referring to Fi s. 11 and 12, the handle 7 comprises a handold 38, atone end, upper and lower oppositely pro ecting1 lugs 39 and 41,respectively, that are located approxlmately midway of its ends, and anupwardly projecting perforated off-set lug 42 located at the endopposite the hand-hold. A 0011 spring 43 connects the lug 42 of thehandle 7 the switch arm 6 to and the perforated arm 31 of the switch arm6, thereby biasing the handle and the switch arm toward a predeterminedangular relation about the shaft 36 upon which they are mounted. The lug39 on the handle 7 IS, in turn, connected, by a coil spring 44, to a lug45 on one of the flanges 15 of the housing 4. The spring 44 serves tobias the handle 7 and, in turn, the switch arm 6 in a clockwisedirection toward the open position of the switch. Assuming the switch tobe in the open position shown in Fi 1, and the lug 35 on %e inengagement with the notch 25 of the trig er 16, the handle 7 is turnedabout the sha 36 until its lower lug 41 slides over the lug 28 onthe-trigger 17. v

(not shown) to further actuate the switchto close its contacts andthereby energize an electrical range at a predetermined hour. When theelectromagnet 5 is energized, as by a clock, its-armature 12 is drawnupwardly, thereby causing the supporting member 13 to bear against thetail-piece 21 and turn the trigger 16 until the lug 35 is disengagedfrom the notch 25, whereupon the spring 43 contracts and turns theswitch arm 6 with a snap action-to cause the blades of the bridgingmember 37 to engage the stationary contact members 2 and 3, as shown inFig. 4. During the foregoing movement, no movement of the tail-piece 26is effected because avoided by reason of the difference in the widths ofthe tail-pieces 21 and 26.

After the switch has remained in its closed position for a predeterminedinterval of time, corresponding to that required for cooking any desiredfood, the electromagnet 5 is again energized to turn the supportingmember 13 to engage and actuate the tailpieces 21 and 26. The actuationof the tailpiece 26 moves the lug 28 on the trigger 17 from beneath thelug 41 on the handle 7, whereupon the latter is snapped to its openposition by the spring 44. In moving to its open position, the handle 7engages the lower edge of the portion 32 of the switch arm 6 and'therebydisengages the bridging member 37 from the stationary contact members 2and 3. The switch is again in the position shown in Fig. 1, preparatoryto a repetition of the foregoing cycle of operations.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and effective switchfor the operaparting from the scope of my invention as set forth in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switch mechanism, a base member,-

a stationary contact member and a housing mounted thereon, anelectromagnet in said housing, a movable contact member supported onsaid housing and having an open and a closed position, anarmature-supporting member mounted on the housing and having an openingtherein, a plurality of triggers projecting through the opening in saidarmature-supporting member, an operating handle mounted on the housingand having a set and an open position, a spring for biasing the movablecontact member toward its closed position, and a spring for biasing theoperating handle toward its open position, whereby, upon moving theoperating handle to its set position, the movable contact member isbiased by its spring toward its closed position and is prevented frommoiing by one of said triggers, and the operating hunthe electromagnet,the other trigger releases the operating handle to permit it to move toits open position and to actuate the movable contact member to its openposition.

2. Ina switch mechanism, a base member, a stationary contact member anda housing mounted thereon, an electromagnet mounted in said housing, amovable contact member gization of the electromagnet, the latching andan operating handle mounted on the housing, and a plurality oftensioning and latching means whereby, upon movement of the operatinghandle to a predetermined. position, the movable contact member isbiased toward the stationary contact member and prevented from moving bythe latching means, and the operating handle is biased toward an openpositionand. prevented from opening by the latching means, so that, uponenergization of the electromagnet, the latching'means releases themovable contact mem ber to permit it to engage the stationary contactmember and, upon a subsequent enermeans releases the operating handle toperm2t it to move to its open position, thereby moving the movablecontact member out of engagement with the stationary contact member.

3. In a switch structure, a base member, a stationary contact member anda housing mounted thereon, an electromagnet mounted in the housing, acontact member pivotally mounted on the housing and having an open and aclosed position, an operating handle mounted on the housing and having aset and an open position, a plurality of triggers and tensioning meansconstituting a lost-motion connection between the operating handle andthe pivotally mounted contact member, whereby, upon moving the operatinghandle to its set position, the switch is biased toward its closedposition and locked in its open position, and the operating handle isbiased toward its open position and locked in its set position, so that,upon energization of the electromagnet, the pivotally mounted contactmember isreleased to move to its closed position and, upon a subsequentenergization of the electromagnet, the operating handle and the movablecontact members are released to move to their open positions.

,4. In a switch structure, a base member, a stationary contact memberand a housing mounted thereon, a contact member pivotally mounted on'thehousing and having an open and a closed position, an operating handlehaving an open and a set position, an electromagnet mounted within thehousing, an ar mature supported by a bracket mounted on the housing andhaving an opening, a plurality of triggers having ends projectingthrough said opening, a plurality of springs adapted to bias thetriggers in one direction, a spring for biasing the operating handletoward its open position, and a spring for biasing the pivotall mountedcontact member towardits close position, with the operating handle inits set position, whereby, upon moving the operating handle toward itsset' position, the pivotally mounted contact member is biased toward aclosed position and is prevented from closing by one of the triggers,and the operating handle is biased toward an open position and isprevented from closing by another of the triggers, so that, uponenergization of the electromagnet, the pivoted contact member isreleased to move to its closed position and, upon a subsequentenergization of the electromagnet, the operating handle is released tomove to its open position and to actuate the pivoted contact member toits open position.

5. A switch mechanism comprising a base member, a stationary contactmember, a movable contact member having an open and a closed position,an electromagnet, an operating handle having a set and an open position,a plurality of springs adapted to bias the movable contact member andthe operating handle, a plurality of triggers adapted to control theoperating handle and the movable contact member, whereby, uponenergization of the electromagnet, the movable contact member isreleased to move to its closed position and, upon the subsequentenergization of the electromagnet, the operating handle and the movablecontact member are released to move to their open positions.

6. In a snap switch, a stationary contact member, a movable contactmember having an open and a closed position, an operating handle havinga set and an open position and a lost-motion connection to the movablecontact member, an electromagnet and the operating handle comprising aplurality of tensioning means, and a latching means for causing theoperating handle to bias the movable contact member toward its closedposition While it is locked in its open position, whereby, uponenergization of the electromagnet the movable contact member is releasedto move to its closed position and, upon the subsequent energization ofthe electroadapted to close and open 8. The combination in a switchhaving separable contact members, of two biasing means one of which isadapted to close and the other to open the contact members, operat ingmeans for stressing both of the biasing means and tripping means adaptedto release one of the biasing means to close the contact members and tothereafter release the other biasing means to open the contact members.

9. The combination in a switch having separable contact members, ofbiasing means the contact members, operating means for stressing thebiasing means for a complete opening and closing operation and trippingmeans adapted to release the biasing means to close and to open thecontact members in a predetermined se quencc.

' contact members to closed 10. The combination in a circuit interrupterhaving a stationary and a movable contact member, of an operating memberassociated therewith, a biasing member connecting theoperating member tothe movable contact member, a biasing member connecting the'operatingmember to the frame and a pair of latches associated with the movablecontact member.

11. The combination in a circuit interrupter having separable contactmembers, of biasing means for moving the contact members to closedposition, a biasing means for moving them to open position, operatingmeans for stressing the biasing means simultaneously and means adaptedto retain them in stressed position.

12. The combination in a. circuit interrupter having separable contactmembers, of two biasing means one of which is employed to move thecontact members to closed and the other to open position and operatingmeans for stressing both of the biasing means.

13. The combination in a circuit interrupter having separable contactmembers, of a pair of biasing members for operating, the contact membersto closed and to open position, operating means for tensioning both ofthe biasing members, a latch associated with each of the biasing membersadapted to retain them in tensioned position and an electro-magnetadapted to release the latches in sequence.

14. The combination in a circuit interru ter having separable contactmembers, 0 a

pair of biasing members for operating the and to open position,operating means for tensioning both of the biasing members, a latchassociated with each of the biasing members adapted to retain them intensioned position and an eleca movable contact member, biasing meansadapted to actuate the movable contact member to closed and to openposition, operating means for tensionin the biasing means, a latch forretaining 5m operating means in tensioned position, a second latch forretaining the movable contact in open biased position and a solenoid foractuating the said latches.

16. In a switch of the above described type, in combination, astationary contact member, a movable contact member, biasing meansadapted to actuate the movable contact member to closed and to openposition, operating means for tensioning the biasing means, a latch forretaining the operating means in' tensioned position, a second latch forretaining the movable contact in open biased position and a singlesolenoid for actuating the said latches. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this llth dayof October,

CHRISTIAN AALB ORG.

tromagnet actuating the latches in sequence adapted to close the contactmembers upon its first energization and to release the contact memberson a subsequent 'energization.

15. In a switch of the above described type, in combination, astationary contact member,

